By Rob Stinson
My wife, Paige, and I have been married for 25 years. In today’s stressful world, our marriage has faced many challenges. I believe the essence of a successful, long-term relationship is what I call C and C: Compromise and Communication.
My father always told me, “Never go to bed with an argument on your mind ….”
Have I always adhered to this philosophy? Hardly. By that, I mean maintaining a relationship is often a struggle and utter bliss at the same time. I wish I could say I am a great communicator in my relationship, but I cannot. I truly recognize it as a character weakness that I work on a continual basis to improve.
Many times, we’ve had fights where other couples may simply have “thrown in the towel,” but that is the key to a successful marriage: Make it through the tough times. Today, I am blessed to know that we may disagree and have coarse words, but then I stop and think — How important is it?
Being right is the fool’s prize in a relationship. It’s far better to acquiesce than to prove oneself right. Now, I can let the disagreement go and move on to what really matters in life: serenity and peace of mind. Having a healthy relationship brings me the knowledge that I always have someone I can count on. Only by listening, and then thinking what the right response should be, can I communicate in a way that is positive and constructive for our relationship. Paige and I have had many inner battles over the years that we’ve helped each other resolve. I know we always will be there for each other if we try.
We have two beautiful children, Samuel, 23, and Abigail, 22. They are the loves of our life, but parenting brings about a whole new level of stress in a relationship. I know I could have been a better parent at times, but I also know that all I’ve ever wanted for my children is for them to have a great life. I am blessed that both are great people, and I hope Paige and I can be around to see them mature and grow in the future.
As I said, compromise and communication are the key to marriage success. Persevere and progress together. It is far from easy, but so productive and rewarding at the same time, to make a lasting relationship work.
Rob Stinson is a restaurateur who also hosts two weekly TV shows: “Fit to Eat” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and “Salute” on WLOX ABC. Paige Stinson is a former NICU and oncology nurse who has returned to school to pursue a career as a pastry chef. They were married by a justice of the peace in Mandeville, Louisiana, then moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In November of 2018, they were officially remarried in St Thomas Catholic Church in a ceremony celebrating their commitment to each other. The couple resides in Long Beach.